The Offstage Mic

If your days as an arts leader are consumed by never-ending to-do lists, last-minute fires, and reactive work—this episode is your call to break the cycle. In this Season 5 finale, we dig into a leadership struggle that nearly every arts executive, administrator, and manager faces: the battle between the urgent and the important. Through honest reflection, personal experience, and practical tools, we unpack why time management in arts leadership isn’t just about productivity—it’s about reclaiming your role as a strategic visionary. You’ll learn how to identify the 20% of your work that drives real impact, why busyness can be a form of avoidance, and how to shift your focus toward building a thriving future for your organization. If you're ready to trade burnout for clarity and momentum, this episode offers both the mindset shift and tactical tools to help you get there.The Offstage Mic is made possible by Artelize: their Audience Retention Dashboard is the one-stop place to access your audience data across every important metric. And also by Annual Fund Toolkit: they’ve built a support system to help grow your donor community and major gift pipeline.Mentioned in this episode:Get help on your Instagram and Facebook adsCrescendo Classical Marketing helps arts organizations sell more tickets. Get free resources here: https://www.crescendoclassicalmarketing.com/aubreyCrescendo Classical Marketing

One of the biggest mistakes arts organizations make is over relying on major donors. In this penultimate episode of the season, Aubrey Bergauer talks with Dana Snyder—author of The Monthly Giving Mastermind—about why major gifts alone won’t save your organization’s financial future. Together, they explore how a strong monthly giving program isn’t just smart strategy; it’s sustainable, reliable, and rooted in digital marketing best practices.Learn how moving just 2% more charitable donations to monthly giving could unlock $9 billion in recurring revenue. Discover why recurring donors give 42% more per year, and how to build a donor pipeline that leads to more major gifts—not fewer. If you’re tired of chasing one-time checks and ready to grow real stability, this episode is a must-listen.What You’ll Learn:Why over-relying on major donors puts your organization at riskThe $9 billion opportunity in recurring givingHow to launch and grow a thriving monthly giving programWhy digital marketing skills are key to donor retentionHow to move monthly donors into major givingThe Offstage Mic is made possible by Artelize: their Audience Retention Dashboard is the one-stop place to access your audience data across every important metric. And also by Annual Fund Toolkit: they’ve built a support system to help grow your donor community and major gift pipeline.Mentioned in this episode:Get help on your Instagram and Facebook adsCrescendo Classical Marketing helps arts organizations sell more tickets. Get free resources here: https://www.crescendoclassicalmarketing.com/aubreyCrescendo Classical Marketing

Does managing operations at your arts organization feel tedious or unwieldy? Maybe you know your internal processes need a boost, but don’t you know where to begin. Good news: It’s actually more simple than you think. This episode, Aubrey talks about the Kaizen Method of sustained, incremental change. If it feels like you’re trying to turn a big ship, instead of letting perfect be the enemy of good, start by testing out small changes to see what yields the biggest results. This episode tells you how. The Offstage Mic is made possible by Artelize: their Audience Retention Dashboard is the one-stop place to access your audience data across every important metric. And also by Annual Fund Toolkit: they’ve built a support system to help grow your donor community and major gift pipeline.Mentioned in this episode:Get help on your Instagram and Facebook adsCrescendo Classical Marketing helps arts organizations sell more tickets. Get free resources here: https://www.crescendoclassicalmarketing.com/aubreyCrescendo Classical Marketing

For arts organizations, the vast majority of your audience is not subscribers and donors; over 90% of your patrons are the ones who come and go, never to engage with another performance again. How can arts administrators capture that large segment of their audience base and stop the churn? Redesign the user experience. This episode, Aubrey talks with UX and product designer, Linda Hsieh Logston. She shares five steps to applying UX design to arts management. The Offstage Mic is made possible by Artelize: their Audience Retention Dashboard is the one-stop place to access your audience data across every important metric. And also by Annual Fund Toolkit: they’ve built a support system to help grow your donor community and major gift pipeline.Mentioned in this episode:Get help on your Instagram and Facebook adsCrescendo Classical Marketing helps arts organizations sell more tickets. Get free resources here: https://www.crescendoclassicalmarketing.com/aubreyCrescendo Classical Marketing

Women in arts administration make up over half of the workforce. Yet arts leadership roles — on stage and off — are still male dominated. This episode, Aubrey shares some shocking statistics from the field and explains why this paradox is so common in arts organizations (Hint: it's not just about getting more women in the C-suite; the problem starts earlier than you might think). And most important, how arts administrators can change their systems to address gender bias in their own institutions. The Offstage Mic is made possible by Artelize: their Audience Retention Dashboard is the one-stop place to access your audience data across every important metric. And also by Annual Fund Toolkit: they’ve built a support system to help grow your donor community and major gift pipeline.Mentioned in this episode:Get help on your Instagram and Facebook adsCrescendo Classical Marketing helps arts organizations sell more tickets. Get free resources here: https://www.crescendoclassicalmarketing.com/aubreyCrescendo Classical Marketing

Marketing has changed so much for arts administrators in recent years that you might not know how to maximize your marketing budget these days. What percentage should you allocate? What marketing channels are the most effective this year? How much should you spend? This episode, Aubrey explains how to think strategically about reaching the audience you want—and how to budget for it. The Offstage Mic is made possible by Artelize: their Audience Retention Dashboard is the one-stop place to access your audience data across every important metric. And also by Annual Fund Toolkit: they’ve built a support system to help grow your donor community and major gift pipeline.Mentioned in this episode:Get help on your Instagram and Facebook adsCrescendo Classical Marketing helps arts organizations sell more tickets. Get free resources here: https://www.crescendoclassicalmarketing.com/aubreyCrescendo Classical Marketing

Understanding patron data can be daunting, confusing, or even cringeworthy for arts administrators. But your data is an asset, and arts organizations are leaving thousands of dollars on the table when you don’t fully harness it. The good news is understanding and utilizing your data is not hard when done right. It’s all about creating systems to make your data work for you. This episode, Aubrey talks with arts administrator and Changing the Narrative Program Director Stephanie Stallings about working smarter not harder, so you can use data to track and grow your patron retention. The Offstage Mic is made possible by Artelize: their Audience Retention Dashboard is the one-stop place to access your audience data across every important metric. And also by Annual Fund Toolkit: they’ve built a support system to help grow your donor community and major gift pipeline.Mentioned in this episode:Get help on your Instagram and Facebook adsCrescendo Classical Marketing helps arts organizations sell more tickets. Get free resources here: https://www.crescendoclassicalmarketing.com/aubreyCrescendo Classical Marketing

For arts administrators, donor development often means soliciting as many patrons as possible, as soon as possible, without accounting for their unique needs. This may glean some revenue in the short term, but what about next season? Someone coming to a show once to check it off their bucket list is not the same as the season subscriber or donor who’s bought-in because they have a tried and true relationship with your organization. This episode, Aubrey talks about how tailoring your messaging to build audience relationships is the fruitful key that transforms first-time patrons into loyal donors. The Offstage Mic is made possible by Artelize: their Audience Retention Dashboard is the one-stop place to access your audience data across every important metric. And also by Annual Fund Toolkit: they’ve built a support system to help grow your donor community and major gift pipeline.Mentioned in this episode:Get help on your Instagram and Facebook adsCrescendo Classical Marketing helps arts organizations sell more tickets. Get free resources here: https://www.crescendoclassicalmarketing.com/aubreyCrescendo Classical Marketing

Advancing in arts leadership can be tricky, because what got you to where you are now likely won’t get you to where you want to be. In the final part of this bonus series, Aubrey gives you real-world examples of the seven researched-backed steps to advancing your career in arts management. Then, she guides you through a visioning exercise to identify the conditions and behaviors needed to become the arts leader you want to be.  Mentioned in this episode:Get help on your Instagram and Facebook adsCrescendo Classical Marketing helps arts organizations sell more tickets. Get free resources here: https://www.crescendoclassicalmarketing.com/aubreyCrescendo Classical Marketing

Imagine negotiating the salary and benefits you know you deserve as an arts leader. Or going to the bargaining table for union negotiations, and all parties come out satisfied. In Part 2 of this bonus series, Aubrey dives deep into an important skill necessary to growing your leadership: the art of negotiation. Spoiler alert: it’s not all about the money. Then she builds upon the visioning in Part 1, helping you understand the difference between the work you’re good at vs. the work that will let your true genius shine. Mentioned in this episode:Get help on your Instagram and Facebook adsCrescendo Classical Marketing helps arts organizations sell more tickets. Get free resources here: https://www.crescendoclassicalmarketing.com/aubreyCrescendo Classical Marketing

There’s a lot about arts leadership most of us were never taught. And you can’t win a game if you don’t know the rules. So we’re bringing you three bonus episodes from our recent training series, “They Never Taught You That: How to Grow Your Career in Arts Management.” This is Part 1, where Aubrey shares the seven research-backed steps to growing your leadership in arts management. She also offers some reflection prompts, so you can tailor the research to your specific work in the arts.  Mentioned in this episode:Get help on your Instagram and Facebook adsCrescendo Classical Marketing helps arts organizations sell more tickets. Get free resources here: https://www.crescendoclassicalmarketing.com/aubreyCrescendo Classical Marketing

Working your way up in arts admin can feel like an uphill battle, but it doesn’t have to be a fight! In the final episode of the season, arts administrator Chelsea Chambers at the Peninsula Symphony talks about working her way up to executive director. Hear how realizing that “I don’t have all the answers” helped her climb the ladder to ED and create a kickass company culture along the way. Guest: Chelsea Chambers, Executive Director of the Peninsula SymphonyMentioned in this episode:Get help on your Instagram and Facebook adsCrescendo Classical Marketing helps arts organizations sell more tickets. Get free resources here: https://www.crescendoclassicalmarketing.com/aubreyCrescendo Classical Marketing

Ever heard the saying, “You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take?” What if we told you that when it comes to jobs they’re not 100 percent qualified for, white men are more likely than women and people of color to apply anyway? This was the statistic that made today’s guest decide to take her shot. Hear how an early version of the Uplevel professional development program – and the community of people within it – helped her find confidence, overcome imposter syndrome, and land the job she wanted. Guest: Jo Griffin, Recruitment Specialist at the Banff Centre for Arts and CreativityMentioned in this episode:Get help on your Instagram and Facebook adsCrescendo Classical Marketing helps arts organizations sell more tickets. Get free resources here: https://www.crescendoclassicalmarketing.com/aubreyCrescendo Classical Marketing

Ever feel like you’re not quite giving off the confidence you know you should be as a leader in the arts? Social psychologist Amy Cuddy says it may have something to do with your “presence” – a sort of “self-assured enthusiasm.” Today, we get into her research on presence as an incredible indicator of leadership success, from how you come off to your colleagues to whether people you meet trust you. Hear how to tap into your personal power and harness it to lead. Hint: it can start with something as simple as changing your physical posture. For more on this, check out Amy Cuddy's Ted Talk: "Your body language may shape who you are."Mentioned in this episode:Get help on your Instagram and Facebook adsCrescendo Classical Marketing helps arts organizations sell more tickets. Get free resources here: https://www.crescendoclassicalmarketing.com/aubreyCrescendo Classical Marketing

What is your unique purpose as an arts administrator? How do you find the courage to lead with purpose once you know? Carlos Cordero is a conductor, new choral music advocate, singer and self-proclaimed “great hug-giver.” But he started off with a broad, more generic vision that wasn’t connecting with audiences the way he wanted to. As a gay Latinx immigrant artist, Carlos did some soul searching and clarified his mission: to advocate for the LGBTQ+ and immigrant community through his brand, The Happy Choir, and his professional Tenor-Bass choir, Un/heard. Hear how Carlos learned that you can’t be everything to everyone. By going from generic to specific, he took ownership of his brand and unlocked community connection for himself and his ensembles.Guest: Carlos Cordero, new choral music artist and advocate; creator of The Happy ChoirMentioned in this episode:Get help on your Instagram and Facebook adsCrescendo Classical Marketing helps arts organizations sell more tickets. Get free resources here: https://www.crescendoclassicalmarketing.com/aubreyCrescendo Classical Marketing

“Closed mouths don’t get fed.” This is the mantra that Paula Wilson has led with, basically since day one of her arts administration journey. Like many of us in this field, she started off as a musician and realized that wasn’t for her. But when she transitioned into administration, she couldn’t seem to land the right internship. This episode, Paula shares how resourcefulness, mentorship, and finding her niche helped her end up with multiple job offers to do the work she loves.Guest: Paula Wilson, Member Services and Communications Manager at Equity ArcMentioned in this episode:Get help on your Instagram and Facebook adsCrescendo Classical Marketing helps arts organizations sell more tickets. Get free resources here: https://www.crescendoclassicalmarketing.com/aubreyCrescendo Classical Marketing

“Convince me to stay.” This is what Allison Lambacher told Aubrey after years in arts administration and being totally burnt out. If you’ve been in the industry long enough, you’ve probably been ready to throw in the towel at least once. "But you are not alone and the narrative is changing". Hear how Allison – now Associate Director of Digital Engagement with the St. Louis Symphony – used arts management tools from Uplevel to go from being ready to quit the industry to advocating for herself and landing her dream job. Guest: Allison Lambacher, Associate Director of Digital Engagement at the St. Louis Symphony OrchestraMentioned in this episode:Get help on your Instagram and Facebook adsCrescendo Classical Marketing helps arts organizations sell more tickets. Get free resources here: https://www.crescendoclassicalmarketing.com/aubreyCrescendo Classical Marketing

Innovative, inclusive, collaborative – these are some of the top traits of a healthy company culture. Last episode, we identified the toxic traits you may be dealing with at your arts organization. This episode, we talk about how you can renovate your company culture, based on the book “Culture Renovation” by Kevin Oakes, CEO of i4cp. And guess what: you don’t have to burn it all down and start over; here’s how to identify what’s working and build on that. For more insights on this, check out this past episode with Kevin Oakes himself. Mentioned in this episode:Get help on your Instagram and Facebook adsCrescendo Classical Marketing helps arts organizations sell more tickets. Get free resources here: https://www.crescendoclassicalmarketing.com/aubreyCrescendo Classical Marketing

Bureaucratic, disrespectful, chaotic, complacent. Sound familiar? If you would use these words to describe the culture at your organization, you and your colleagues may be working in a toxic environment. This episode is part one of two: First, we get into the top nine traits causing toxicity in company culture, based on the book “Culture Renovation” by Kevin Oakes, CEO of i4cp. In the next episode, we get into the blueprint for building a healthier culture at your organization. For more insights on this, check out this past episode with Kevin Oakes himself. Mentioned in this episode:Get help on your Instagram and Facebook adsCrescendo Classical Marketing helps arts organizations sell more tickets. Get free resources here: https://www.crescendoclassicalmarketing.com/aubreyCrescendo Classical Marketing

Data is one of the most powerful tools you can use in arts management to increase patron retention. But how do you know which metrics to track? How do you find the time to stay on top of key performance indicators? Over several years of experience, from my first job at the Seattle Symphony to becoming an executive director and developing the 'Long Haul Model', I can now identify the main, underlying problem most arts organizations run into when thinking about their data. And I brought in some folks to help me talk about it. In this bonus episode, I interview special guests Sune Hjerrild and Jan Pilgaard Carlsen, co-founders of Artelize, a company that eats, sleeps, and breathes using data in the arts. We talk about how to harness your data to retain more patrons, what key metrics are important to monitor to know if your retention efforts are working, and why most CRMs make patron retention challenging, either because extracting the data and reports you need is tricky, or because it just takes too much time — and what to do about it to make it a million times faster.Tracking and understanding your data doesn’t have to be a pitfall for your organization. Enjoy this special bonus episode to carry you through until the podcast starts again this fall.Resources:The Long Haul Model articleRethinking Audience Engagement Panel Hosted by ArtelizeMentioned in this episode:Get help on your Instagram and Facebook adsCrescendo Classical Marketing helps arts organizations sell more tickets. Get free resources here: https://www.crescendoclassicalmarketing.com/aubreyCrescendo Classical Marketing